France have qualified for their 15th World Cup. It’s their sixth appearance in a row, their longest ever run.

France have topped their group only twice in their last nine World Cup appearances (1998, 2014). In fact, they’ve won only three of their last 12 group games (D5 L4), it came against Togo, Honduras and Switzerland.

Nine of France’s last 16 goals at the World Cup have come from set-pieces (56%).

1998 World Cup winner Didier Deschamps manages his nation.

Also, France’s last 23 goals at the World Cup have been scored from inside the box, the last goal from distance coming from Lilian Thuram in the 1998 semi-final against Croatia.

France’s Just Fontaine still holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup (13 in 1958).

This is Didier Deschamps’ third consecutive major tournament as France manager, after guiding his team to the 2014 World Cup quarter-finals and the 2016 Euro final (beaten by Portugal after extra-time). He captained France as they won the World Cup on home soil in 1998, playing in six of his team’s seven games.